Lab: Temperature, Rainfall, and Biome DistributionName ______Date ______Period _____

Introduction: In this lab you will investigate the relationship between the amount of rainfall and the variance of temperature and the effect on the distribution of biomes globally.

You will find below six examples of climatograms, grids on which averages of precipitation and temperature at a particular location are plotted together. These climatograms show variations in only two important climatic factors during a year. Other factors may greatly affect climate, but a climatogram does give a rough idea of climate in the location from which the data were obtained.

Purpose: This exercise provides practice in associating climate (as expressed in monthly averages of precipitation and temperature) with biomes.

Procedure: Follow the instructions below and answer any questions.

Graph the climate figures for precipitation and temperature for the four locales in Group 1. Use the same scale as the other climatograms. Be sure that you label each with it's biome name. Also be extremely careful as to how you record the information. All temperature readings are measured on the right side of the climatogram! All precipitation measurements are on the left side of the climatogram! Be sure to draw line a graph for temperature and a bar graph for precipitation.

Cuiaba, Brazil: Tropical Deciduous Forest
J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
P: / 24.9 / 21.1 / 21.1 / 10.2 / 5.3 / 0.8 / 0.5 / 2.8 / 5.1 / 11.4 / 15 / 20.6
T: / 27.2 / 27.2 / 27.2 / 26.6 / 25.6 / 23.9 / 24.4 / 25.6 / 27.8 / 27.8 / 27.8 / 27.2
Santa Monica, California: Chaparral
J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
P: / 8.9 / 7.6 / 7.4 / 1.3 / 1.3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0.3 / 1.5 / 3.5 / 5.8
T: / 11.7 / 11.7 / 12.8 / 14.4 / 15.6 / 17.2 / 18.9 / 18.3 / 18.3 / 16.7 / 14.4 / 12.8
Moshi,Tanganyika: Tropical Grassland
J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
P: / 3.6 / 6.1 / 9.2 / 40.1 / 30.2 / 5.1 / 5.1 / 2.5 / 2 / 3 / 8.1 / 6.4
T: / 23.3 / 23.2 / 22.2 / 21.1 / 19.8 / 18.4 / 17.9 / 18.4 / 19.8 / 21.4 / 22 / 22.4
Aden, Aden: Tropical Dessert
J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
P: / 0.8 / 0.5 / 1.3 / 0.45 / 0.3 / 0.3 / 0 / 0.3 / 0.3 / 0.3 / 0.3 / 0.3
T: / 24.6 / 25.1 / 26.4 / 28.5 / 30.6 / 31.9 / 31.1 / 30.3 / 31.1 / 28.8 / 26.5 / 25.1

Combined with the six climatograms given as examples (see below), you now have ten climatograms representing ten different biomes found worldwide.

Compare the climatogram for San Francisco with the ten knowns.

  1. Which of the known biome climatograms closely resembles San Francisco? ______

a. In what ways were they similar? ______

b. In what ways were they different? ______

c. Would you consider them to truly be the same biome? Explain? ______

d. During the thirty year period used for the figures in the San Francisco climatogram there were four drought periods. How would this effect the appearance of the climatogram? ______

Examination of the known biomes:

  1. How are the Tundra and Desert similar? different? ______
  2. How are the Tropical Rain and TropicalDeciduousForests similar? different? ______
  3. Examine the climatograms for Lawrence, Kansas and Nashville, Tennessee. These biomes occupy similar latitudes. Why is a grassland and the other a forest biome? ______
  4. Considering that the information in your climatograms is presented on a monthly basis, how would you determine which biomes are located in the southern hemisphere? ______
  5. Which biome has the:

a. most rainfall? ______b. least rainfall? ______

c. the highest average temperature? ______d. the lowest average temperature? ______

e. most consistent year round temperature? ______f. most variable year round temperature? ______

  1. What biomes have the highest biodiversity? What biomes have the lowest biodiversity? Summarize the relationship that exits between climate and biodiversity. ______